Girl in the Woods

Not since Alice Sebold's Lucky and Cheryl Strayed's Wild has a young woman written such a searing, yet hopeful story of survial in the wake of a horrific trauma and finding acceptance, hope, and healing in nature

Girl in the Woods is Aspen Matis' exhilarating true-life adventure of hiking from Mexico to Canada -- a coming of age story, a survival story, a love story, and a triumphant story of overcoming emotional devastation. On her second night of college, Aspen Matis was raped by a fellow freshman. Vigilantly sheltered by her parents who discouraged her from telling people of the attack, Aspen was confused and ashamed. Dealing with a problem that has sadly become all too common on college campuses around the country, she stumbled through her first semester—a challenging time made more difficult by the incompetence and coldness of her college’s judicial process. Her desperation growing, she made a bold decision: She would seek healing in the freedom of the wild, on the 2,650-mile Pacific Crest Trail leading from Mexico to Canada.

In this grippingly honest, inspiring memoir, Aspen traces her journey, a five-month trek that was ambitious, dangerous, and transformative. A novice hiker alone and isolated, at times on the verge of starvation and pushing herself as never before, she was forced to confront her darkest demons, coming to terms with her sexual assault as well as her overly protected upbringing. Along the way she braves the hazards of the trail head on, learning invaluable lessons about hope and self-reliance, as she realizes the true meaning of the word survivor. From communing with fellow desert pilgrims to hiking desolate mountain passes to meeting a man who ultimately helps her learn to love and to trust again, Girl in the Woods is a beautifully-rendered story of eroding emotional and physical boundaries to reveal the truths that lie beyond the edges of the map.